Of Consciences and a Colleague
by Authorless
Summary: My first Digimon and yaoi fic. Yamachi. What would happen if Taichi gets dragged by a friend into something he isn't too happy to do?
1. Wrath of a Friend

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Title: Of Consciences and a Colleague**  
Chapter:** 1 » Wrath of a Friend**  
By: **Authorless

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Author's notes: All right. This is my first fanfic in… About 8 months? Also my first Digimon fanfic so don't kill me if it sucks. And a **warning** to all that this would be Taito/Yamachi. [Whichever, because I haven't decided yet? Or maybe you could vote in the reviews.] And for those who don't know what I mean, I mean this is going to be guy/guy relationship thing as in **yaoi**, so don't come whining to me about not warning you. There isn't any Taito/Yamachi in here yet but wait till the next few chapters.

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Disclaimer: Is this necessary? ::groans:: I do **not** own Digimon. You'd think I'd be writing this if I did?

"Yagami. Yagami. Yagami. YAGAMI TAICHI."

I jerked in my seat as I finally broke out of my stupor and blinked dumbly at my colleague, who didn't look too please with me right now. Oh yeah. She's definitely pissed off now. I wonder why.

Maybe its because she's been trying to get your attention for the past 15 minutes and you're doing a pretty good job at staring into space or more like a certain **someone** in the framed picture, thinking of God knows what. Oh wait. I **do** know what.

Great… My conscience is being sarcastic today. What next?

How about extremely annoyed and dangerous Natsumi ready to pour the water out of that flower vase onto your lap after you've been ignoring her all this while, hmm?

Yeah. That would definitely do the trick. Wait a minute. Flower vase? She's going to pour that icy water onto me?!?!

"Ack! All right! All right, Natsumi! I'm listening now! Don't do that!! Just… Put that thing down! The water in there is probably freezing cold!"

Natsumi narrowed her eyes at me and returned the vase of fresh yellow roses to its rightful position on the tabletop next to the few picture frames I had in my office. At first glance, no one would believe that she was a 21-year-old working as an English teacher for the Odaiba High School. She's a good 5 feet, [never point out how short she is, or she'll have your head on a silver platter], thin, pale skin, jet black hair that went to mid-back and all she ever wears consist of black or white t-shirts and jeans. And she wears these half-framed glasses that seems to always fall down the bridge of her nose. It would be strange to have a teacher like that but I guess its better than teachers who dress like some old lady ready to bore you to death with her 'special' educational lesson.

"Taichi! Why is it that every single time I'm in here, you have your head promptly stuck in the clouds, and **nothing** seems to make you come crashing back down to earth?"

Oh, she's definitely not happy. Wonder what she'd think if she knew what I was thinking about.

Why, she'd be just absolutely mortified by the fact that **you**, Yagami Taichi, were thinking of **someone** in such a romantic and passionate way. Especially when that someone happens to be your bestfriend? And is of the same **gender**?

Must I have a conscience? A very mocking one at that? And it doesn't ever know **when** to shut up.

…… I hate you.

Thank you so much. That is **so** much better. No more nagging voice at the back of my head. Now we come back to the teacher tapping her high-heel black boot with her arms crossed over her chest and staring at me in annoyance.

"Ano… Something wrong, Tadahiro-san?"

She just cocked an eyebrow at me thoughtfully and began to stare hard at my face. I'll bet she's trying to figure out why I have that innocent smile plastered onto my face and why I addressed her so formally. That or she thinks I lost my mind and need to get professional help. In other words, see a shrink. I mean. Since when did Yagami Taichi look innocent?

"You're probably expecting me to start bombarding you with all sorts of questions about what's going on in that head of yours but right now, I'm just here to inform you that…"

I looked up at her from my seat in anticipation at what was so important, that my dear colleague and friend would give up such a wonderful opportunity to give me a good questioning. That's when she placed her hands to lean on my desk and gave me a sour look when I didn't seem to know what she was talking about at all.

"That you're nearly 22 minutes late for your PE class. And the students are already waiting impatiently in the gym. Possibly wondering what ever happened to their dear, dear Yagami-sensei."

Right after the last word rolled off her tongue, it took awhile to let the words sink in before I bolted out the door at top speed, nearly knocking down a few unsuspecting teachers whilst mumbling a few uttered apologies and headed for the gym like a mad man. I can almost hear Natsumi chuckling in my office, shaking her head with her eyes closed and muttering something like "That's our Taichi and we wouldn't have it any other way".

I skidded to a halt as I came to the doors of the all too familiar gym and stepped inside. There they were. Natsumi must be joking when she said 'waiting impatiently'. More like 'jumping with joy to have a free period to laze around or gossip'. They didn't even notice me. Wonder what those girls are crowding around over there. It must be **something** because all they can do is giggle insanely while some of the boys seem to be rolling their eyes as they watched.

Tiptoeing quietly, I stepped behind the group of shorter girls and peered at a poster a girl was holding. Is that all? A poster?

"What, make I ask, are you doing?"

I spoke loud and clear, making a few of the students jump and giving me their undivided attention. The group of girls just continued giggling mirthfully and the one with the poster walked up to me and gave me the 'innocent angelic' look. I would have snorted if the poster she held up hadn't caught my eye.

"Nothing, Yagami-sensei! We were just looking at the poster of one of the cutest guys ever, Teenage Wolves."

She piped up in a sickeningly sweet voice, showing the poster to me. I had to hold my breath, considering I had the all too familiar faces on the poster staring back at me. Especially the pair of icy-blue eyes boring into me. I can feel a pit form in my stomach right about now.

Just admit it, Taichi. You just don't want to take your eyes off the 'blonde, blue-eyed and utterly gorgeous' one.

I thought I told you to keep quiet. And who said I liked Yamato anyway? I'd like to wipe that smirk off your face if you have a face at all.

Touchy Taichi. And I didn't say you **liked** him. Oh, no no no. Would never ever think that. I say you **love** him.

…… I hate you.

Thank you. Thank you. Yagami Taichi admits to himself that he's over the fence, head over heels in love with Ishida Yamato, wonderful star of the Teenage Wolves, no?

…… I really hate you. But I'll admit. I do love Yamato. You happy? I haven't seen him in nearly four years and I think about him more everyday. Sometimes I think about him **so** much that its driving me insane. Its not like I haven't heard of him lately. I see his face everywhere I go. His posters would be stuck all over the place and the band would **always** be heard on the radio. And Hikari always gives me a call from time to time to tell me where Yamato and the band would be since she got together with Takeru and all. Wonder why she always sounds so anxious for my reaction though…

Still… I miss my Yama-chan. I miss hanging out with him, talking about anything and nothing, have sleepovers and stuff. What I wouldn't give to be in his presence again and be given a chance to tell him how I feel. Yeah right. Like he's ever going to accept me. He's probably got tons of fan-girls out there just waiting to pounce on him and he's going to give **that** up for me? Fat chance.

Ah, yes. Taichi is ever loyal and devoted to his Yama-chan and hasn't even been kissed. Saving the first one for Yamato. Isn't that just sweet?

Shut up already.

All right. All right. I'll shut up already and leave you to your thoughts of **your** sweet Yama-chan.

I pushed all thoughts of Yamato to the back of my head momentarily and made a mental note to shut out the stupid voice at the back of my head. I pushed the hand that held the poster gently away from my face and motioned all the students to line up in single files.

"Class. Today, we will learn the right ways to play soccer. And yes, this includes the girls."

Grins were instantly plastered onto the boys' faces, however most of the girls' faces had gone white with a look of absolute horror. Especially the ones who are vain about their looks. Some of them even looked faint. This day could prove quite interesting after all.

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As I trudged happily back to my office after school, to grab my stuff and head home after a tiring day of work, Natsumi poked her head through the door with a questioning look on her face.

"Had a good day, Taichi?"

"Yep. Got a bunch of good laughs after watching some of the girls play soccer. They either shrieked horribly and ran away from the ball or they just simply kicked the ball away as if it were going to eat them or something. The boys and I were trying really hard to not die laughing."

I beamed at her as she met me with a comical face, pushing her glasses back up her nose as they slid down. Then a low growl was heard coming from somewhere in the pit of my stomach and my cheeks warmed as Natsumi burst into a fit of hysterics and hugging the book she was carrying tightly to her chest to try to stop herself from laughing so hard.

"Someone's hungry." She said in between chortles, walking in and giving me a friendly pat on the back. You can tell that she's trying really hard not to double over in laughter. Well, this is embarrassing.

Oops. I nearly forgot! Natsumi was going to be popping all sorts of questions soon so, quickly, I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door… To find myself being held back by my collar. For someone who's 2 years younger than me and inches shorter, she sure has a strong grip.

"And where do you think you're going? Hmm?"

"Natsumi! Let me go! Please? Pretty please?" I gave her my best puppy-dog-eyed look and clasped my hands together in a begging motion for emphasis. I really **really** don't want her to know about my screwed up love life. And the fact I don't like girls in **that** way. Hopefully, she'll forget all about it and let me off for today.

Not in this lifetime, buddy. When will you learn that Tadahiro Natsumi never **ever** forgets?

"Nah uh. Ramen. My treat. You're driving. Plus, I have a bad urge to interrogate you and no way in hell are you getting away until I do just that. And I'm pretty sure you know all that already."

"But-"

"No buts, Yagami. Now let's get going before the evening crowd gets there and we won't get a place to sit."

Damn. I swear she can read minds by just looking at you. She ushered me out and made sure I locked my door before leaving while she gets her backpack. And we're off with Natsumi practically dragging me by my arm.

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"Taichi?"

I looked up from my bowl of ramen across the table where Natsumi sat. She was giving me this questioning look that said 'Something's wrong, isn't it? So spit it out already or I'll make you!'.

"Nothing's wrong, Natsumi."

"Liar. Then why are you picking at your food when most of the time, you stuff your face with food as if there was no tomorrow?"

She made it sound more like a statement than a question. And giving her a fake smile with a 'Really, there's nothing wrong. I just lost appetite.', would sound really stupid and fooling Natsumi is like trying to fool yourself to think that cows can jump over the moon.

"I just… Can we not talk about it?" I silently pleaded and she promptly took a sip of her o-cha and I took that as a sign that she'd let me off. For now. The next question however, would have sent me keeling over had I not been holding a tight grip onto the table. Even my knuckles were turning a snowy white.

"You sweet on someone?"

"I… Uh… When… How…"

"Oh! I just saw you staring at some picture when you zone out on me and took the liberty of taking a look at that picture myself when you forgot to lock your door the other day."

"You went into my office?!" I nearly choked and took a big sip of tea to calm my nerves down. Why should I be nervous? Because… Because…

Because you have so many pictures of Yamato all over the place?

For once you're good for something.

Thanks for the compliment.

"Uh… Sorta? You were always so nervous and reluctant about showing anyone a particular picture on your tabletop and you **always** brought it down to face the table whenever someone went in. So can you blame me for being curious?"

She gave me a satisfied smirk after she finished her ramen and took a sip of her tea. How can someone so devious, look so innocent at the same time? That, I tell you, is a talent worth keeping. Even though I wish Natsumi didn't have this talent.

You and the rest of the world.

"I guess I can't blame you after all. But must you go through my personal belongings?" I muttered in an exasperation. Though… I should know the answer to that.

"All right. All right. I promise I won't go through your things in the office ever again. So wipe that sad look off your face. It doesn't make you look nice. And finish up your ramen! I'm paying and you are definitely not going to waste a good bowl of ramen, even if I have to shove it down your throat myself."

I couldn't help but flash her a grin. She has a funny way of showing that she cares. Yet, I don't really trust her upon her little promise to never go through my stuff again. I dipped my head and began to eat up the remainder of my food when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Ne, Taichi?"

"What?"

"I was asked to help organize this charity thing to raise funds for a new shelter for homeless children."

I would have snorted if my mouth wasn't so full of ramen. Knowing Natsumi, the principal must have asked Natsumi to help, considering he would do **anything** to keep her happy. Though no one seems to know the reason to it. He used to treat her rather coldly like he treated all the other teachers until one day, he was all-out trying his best to please her. I asked Natsumi about it once and she only winked and said "I'm sworn to secrecy." Strange though. Why would she be telling me about some boring fundraiser anyway? Not like I'll have anything to do with it but donate a bit. Unless there was more to this fundraiser than the eye can see.

"The only thing is…"

"The only thing is?"

She made a sideways glance, as if to make sure no one was listening and leaned across the table, whispering silently into my ear. I nearly choked to death, trying to yell in shock at what she had just uttered.

"What!?!"

"Shhh… People are staring." She hissed, sitting back in her seat across from me. I was quite well aware that all eyes in the restaurant were staring at me but right now, I couldn't care less.

"I know that! But seriously. A slave auction? Has the school board gone mad?!" I visibly flinched at the sound of the two words, 'slave auction', as it came out of my own mouth. Natsumi only sat back in her seat and smiled sheepishly back at me as I tried to regain my composure.

"It's only for 24 hours? Plus, it wouldn't be illegal if the 'slaves' volunteered willingly."

"And who would volunteer to be 'slaves' for a day?" I added sarcastically and was a little surprised when she didn't react much except greet me with a placid smile and a sarcastic tone that matched my own.

"The students and teachers, of course."

My jaw was left hanging and I'll bet that I look like a goldfish that went brain dead. Selling the students and teachers as slaves for a day? That could have proved interesting, only I didn't fail to notice the pleading look on Natsumi's face in my moment of stupor and it was directed right at me. That pleading look is almost identical to the ones I make when I wanted her to do me a **really** big favor. The kind of big favors that anyone would think twice about agreeing to. That was when things began to sink in. I gave her my best-attempted look of utmost horror. She couldn't possibly mean…

I think that's exactly what she means.

"You'd do anything for a friend in need, won't you, Taichi?"

"Anything but **that**. No way! I am **not** going to do it."

"Please? Pretty please with chocolate chip ice-cream, sprinkles, sugar, spice, everything nice and a big cherry on top?"

Oh God. Don't make the big glassy eyes. Just don't look at the big pitiful puppy-dog-eyes that no one can resist and push whatever she said out of my head. And I'll be fine. I won't get pushed into doing it. Just resist. Can't lose now… Stay firm… Don't give in…

"Oh, no. No way. Forget it, Natsumi. I am **not** doing it! You hear me? No. No. No. You can't make me. Nothing you do will make me change my mind. I am **not** doing it!"

_ Tsuzuku… [To be continued…] _

Well, that wraps up chapter one. It's 12:37AM and I'm going to bed. Hope you readers liked this. Ohya. Do me a favor, would ya? ^^' Vote for Taito or Yamachi if you'd consider writing a review.


	2. Guy Meets Friend of Bestfriend

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Title: Of Consciences and a Crazy Colleague**  
Chapter: **2 » Guy Meets Friend of Bestfriend  
**By: **Authorless

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Author's notes: The votes have come to a draw. V-V; Apparently my sister insisted on Yamachi. So I guess I could do both Taito and Yamachi? And if you're wondering where the 'slave auction' idea came from, well… Our school had one in the year 2000. And it was quite funny to see my Math teacher be sold to my classmate for RM150 - RM200 [Ringgit Malaysia]. So I thought it would be amusing to use that for a plot. Considering I **did** buy a slave myself that time. ::cough::

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Disclaimer: I do **not** own Digimon. Period.

Here I am. Shuffling around in this stupid getup on a humid morning. I'm sweating buckets in this stupid coat. Plus, I seem to be attracting a lot of funny glances from other pedestrians as I walk down the familiar streets. And all of this for what? A chance to see the old high school again! Now how ridiculous is that?!

Oh, don't lie, Yamato. We **both** know why you're walking to the old high school in a huge coat, a funny hat, and black shades, basically trying to **disguise** yourself.

Of course, we do. I just want to see how stupid I look in this detective getup on a nice sunny day and practically sweating my pants off!

Tsk. Tsk. You're a very bad liar, Yamato. And you know it. The only reason you came here was bec-

Because I got word Taichi would be here! Okay? Mou… Are all consciences like you?! Annoying and ever vexatious?

Most of us are.

That's a comforting thought… Just another few billion more people, each with a disturbing voice that just enjoys nagging at them at the back of their head. And I thought people had consciences to guide us. Yeah right… Whoever said that about consciences should get his brain examined…

You humans just don't like it when we point out the truth. It hurts your pride. So you really can't blame us for pointing out your insecurities.

Whatever. I thought I was going to enjoy the little time-off I was getting to relax for a week or so. Then I spend a little quality time with my little brother [who isn't so little anymore] and… Bam! Here I am in this stupid, idiotic looking apparel…

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"Oniichan, have you heard from the others lately?"

"Uhh… No, I haven't." I answered, feeling slightly uneasy at the subject at hand and shifted slightly in my makeshift bed. Not like Takeru would notice, considering we were both lying awake in his dark room, he in bed and me on the carpeted floor with a warm mattress and blanket.

"Not even Taichi?""

"No." I cringed slightly at the mention of **that** name. The name of the one person whose friendship mattered to me more than anything else I can think of. The one person who I could never hurt deliberately. Yagami Taichi.

When I realized that I loved him, I couldn't accept it. What would people think? What would my family and friends think? And most important of all… What would Taichi think? He'd probably reject me and call me a fag. I couldn't bear to face that. Then I drowned myself into my work to try to forget the dull ache deep within me. It's still there. That feeling of complete hopelessness. And the aching truth that Taichi could never possibly feel the same way.

"Onii-chan?"

"Hmm?" I murmured absently as I found the ceiling quite interesting to stare at.

"What would you say… If I told you that Taichi is working as a teacher?"

That. Jolted me out of bed to sit up straight and stare incredulously into the dark where I could barely make out the outline of my brother curled up under the warm sheets and facing the opposite direction.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope."

"You have got to be kidding."

"No, I'm not joking."

"Seriously? You better not be pulling my leg."

Takeru gradually turned on his side to face me even though it was too dark to read the expression on his face.

"Would I lie to you, onii-chan?"

"…… I still don't believe you."

"If you don't believe me, then be my guest and call Hikari up in the morning." He finished rather smugly and I can almost imagine the look on his face. That was enough to prove his point.

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Even now, I still can't believe what Takeru said. Taichi? Teacher? Very strange. But next thing you know. I told my manager and the rest of the band where'd I be and was stupid enough to insist on **not** having any bodyguards buzzing around me like flies. And that brings us back here, with me in this stupid outfit, walking all the way to school.

Well it was either this or be knocked over by a swarm of fans. I pray that no one can recognize me in this oversized coat. This is like going into the enemy's base armed with nothing more than a toothpick. And this could get dangerous. God knows how many raving fans are currently in that school and it'll be even worse if they **all** recognized me. Well how can they not know me?! I can see posters of the band slapped all over the place! They'd have to be blind not to see any of **those**!

I blinked as I felt something graze the back of my palm. Looking down, I felt it again. It was… A raindrop? On a sunny day? This **has** got to be a cruel joke! Glaring up at the skies through dark shades, there it was. The sun shining cruelly through the light shower which seemed to be steadily increasing into a huge downpour. I had a few more blocks to go before I reached the school, so I broke into a small jog, seeking any sort of shelter from the oncoming precipitation. I really don't want to be soaked through…

"Kuso!"

It had begun to pour down harder and I was still surprised at how bright the day was even though the rain was now coming down in hard torrents, drenching me with each passing minute. Suddenly, the ridiculous clothing seemed to be heavier and running started to become equally difficult. I swore under my breath as I bent over to catch my breath. I really should get more exercise in my free time.

You **should**. But you'd never put much conviction into doing that anyway, would you, Yamato?

Hmph. Thanks for pointing that out. You're so helpful. What would I do without you.

Why, thank you. I didn't know you could be so appreciative.

Whatever you say.

"Are you all right, sir?"

Panting, I looked up, finally noticing for the first time that I was being sheltered under a black umbrella. I stood up straight and nearly hit my head against the umbrella when I tried to reply to the owner of the concerned voice. The reason why I was so close to having an impact with an umbrella was probably because the owner seemed a foot shorter. I took a step back to inspect this person. Her entire attire was black. From the T-shirt to her rubber shoes, not to mention her slightly damp raven black hair. She had a backpack slung over her left shoulder and her umbrella in her right hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I mumbled quietly. What if she recognized who I was? Oh boy. I'd better be prepared to make a dash to school. A **very** quick dash.

"That's good. Can I be of any help?" She smiled cheerfully. How can someone be so cheerful on such a rotten morning is beyond me but how she can be so nice and helpful to a complete stranger is **way** too much for me to comprehend.

Just because you had a bad start, doesn't mean others might feel the same way. You're all grouchy.

Yeah. Yeah. Right. I'm thinking nonsense again. Might as well accept her offer while it's still on the table. I don't fancy reaching the school looking like a drowned rat, not like it would make much difference now, taking into account that I'm already drenched thoroughly.

"Are you by chance walking anywhere near the Odaiba High School?"

"You're in luck. I happen to be heading there right now. It's a good thing I don't have a class to teach at this time of day."

I blinked at the stranger. It never occurred to me that she'd be a teacher by the way she dressed. I would have thought she were a student! She casually grabbed my coat sleeve and started pulling me along the street under the shelter of the umbrella. She had attempted to straighten her arm slightly so as to not hit my head against the roof of the umbrella. Her arm seemed to be feeling strained from being in such a position but she didn't complain which surprised me. A rather awkward silence hung in the air as I fell into step. I was about to open my mouth to say something to break the silence, when the wind grabbed up my hat and blew it clear off my head.

"My hat!" I cried in utter dismay. How was I suppose to hide my blonde strands that stands out so much?! The stranger snapped her head up at my sudden outburst and practically froze in step as she stared at me quizzically, squinting a few times. I can feel a rise of panic within me. If she figured out who I was, I'm doomed… Please don't recognize me… Please don't recognize me… I squeezed my eyes shut behind my shades, praying that she wouldn't guess who I was. Then I felt something pulling the shades off my nose in a swift movement so I wouldn't be able to resist.

"Open your eyes."

She said it so calmly and yet… I couldn't shake off the feeling that she'd start screaming when she found out who I was. I didn't know what made me obey her command and open my eyes that were shut so close, you'd have to knock me out to pull back my eyelids. There was just so much… Conviction in her voice that makes you want to listen.

The stranger looked up at me, narrowing her eyes as if searching for something within my own. Those piercing pools of dark gray looked like they could see through your very soul. Then she blinked and took out something from her pocket. Looked to me like a picture of some sort. Holding it up in her free hand and staring hard at it for a moment before flashing me a grin. I couldn't make head or tail of what was going on anymore. This is puzzling…

"So I'm right!! It **is** Ishida Yamato in this picture! No wonder this kid looked familiar! I've got to remember to knock the baka upside his head for not telling me anything at all and I had to go to all the trouble of doing research instead!'" She exclaimed in glee. I guess I must have had a really dumbstruck expression on my face, otherwise she wouldn't have turned the picture around for me to see it. I tried to choke back a gasp. How the hell did…

"How did you get that picture?!"

I almost yelped in shock as I stared at the familiarity of it all. Lucky for me there was not many people around to see me making a scene. My hat and shades were now totally forgotten as I stared at the object in her hand. There, clasped in-between two slender fingers was the picture of Taichi and me at the picnic we had with all our friends when we were around the age of 15. Taichi had an arm slung casually over my shoulder with a mouthful of sandwiches and making a victory sign with his fingers. How… How the hell did she get a hold of that?!

"Tadahiro Natsumi. Friend of Taichi's. Pleased to finally get to meet the bestfriend of Yagami Taichi." She tilted her head up and gave me a cheery smile, carefully placing the picture into her pocket once again. The thought that this stranger would know so much about Taichi was enough to brighten my day. However, it also had peaked my curiosity as to how she could get a hold of that picture which would rightfully belong to Taichi.

"You **know** Taichi?"

"Yep. Funny how you can make a new friend when a student decides to kick a soccer ball and have it land smack into your face while you're walking by the field."

I heard Natsumi chuckling at the memory. I on the other hand, visibly flinched at the thought of having a soccer ball going into collision with my face. That sort of impact was enough to knock you into a state of unconsciousness **and** give you a broken nose if you're out of luck.

"I was lucky enough to get away with a headache and a couple of bruises. Oh yes. Not a word about the picture to Taichi. He'd skin me alive if he ever found out I'd sneaked into his office. Again."

Taichi kept that picture in his office? Maybe… Maybe I still have a chance after all. I stared at Natsumi suspiciously as she made a look of mock innocence and was visibly putting some distance in-between us, feeling my intense stare on her.

"Ummm… Anyway, I suppose you're going to the school to see Taichi, ne?"

A flicker of emotion crossed my face as I felt my heart began to race at the thought of seeing Taichi again and I solemnly nodded the affirmative, hoping that she wouldn't be able to see through my defenses. Natsumi surprised me by giving me a friendly pat on the shoulder in an encouraging sort of way. We continued walking in silence, only this time it was seemed that both of us were deep in thought. Did she know about my feelings for him by the simple gesture?

Maybe you shouldn't look down on this girl.

Maybe you're right for once… I should probably keep an eye out for trouble. Right now, I've got only one thing left to worry about. What would Taichi's reaction be to my arrival? Would he be happy to see me? Would he be mad at me for not keeping touch? Even worse… What if he hated me for it?

"Ne, Ishida-san?" I acknowledged her by meeting her gaze and gave her a forced smile.

"Yamato is enough."

"Right. Yamato, I need to ask you some things… And I hope you won't deny them."

You could see that raw depth of seriousness in her eyes, displaying how explicably important and sedate her question was but you could judge the nervousness in her voice. Not to mention that she was fidgeting with the strap of her backpack.

"Do you… Ummm… How do I put this… Uhhh… Have feelings for… Taichi?"

My eyes widened as large as saucers. My jaw dropped awkwardly. I can feel the blood in my heart run cold as all the color drained from my face. For one thing, she was being very straightforward about this particular question which involved my love life. However, it's a completely different thing that she managed to figure it out and I've only just met her less than 15 minutes ago. Anyone else would have taken ages to figure it out!

I opened my mouth to speak but no words would come forth from my lips. Then I would close my mouth and open it again to attempt to say something useful. I only managed to accomplish the simple task of looking like a goldfish, closing and opening my mouth.

"I'll take that as a positive answer then."

She turned away, folding her umbrella, which informed me that I had successfully ignored the fact that the downpour had ceased. I was expecting her to walk away from me with a feeling of mutual disgust.

However, I was completely dumbfounded when she turned, gave me a small smile, and told me one sentence that struck a chord deep within me.

"Love only comes once in a lifetime. Don't let it pass you by, ne?"

She nudged me to move along, positively omitting the funny look on my face and we continued our walk in silence. Every word that she had previously uttered still hung fresh in my mind. Taichi sure is lucky for such poor soccer players to get him friends like her. Or in other words, get them injured and Taichi having to apologize on the student's behalf then they get to be good friends and forget the whole ordeal.

Natsumi suddenly stopped walking towards the direction of the school and dragged me off the sidewalk and into the nearby park, I assume she wanted to ask me something else. Finally she stopped walking and turned to face me with this look in her eyes that said "I have a plan in mind. Interested?".

"How about… Forgetting all about seeing Taichi at school today and give him a **huge** surprise this Friday instead?" She grinned slyly as if she had some sort of top-secret plan that needed to be carried out. I passed her a quizzical look and she motioned for me to bend down to her level of height to whisper in my ear. As word for word sank into the depths of my mind and finally she pulled away, I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear myself.

Oh. Sweet. I like the way this girl thinks.

You **and** me. Definitely an interesting plan which I'd be more than happy to carry out. Though it would require to wear this stupid outfit again. I guess it'll be worth it. Now I wonder how Natsumi keeps such a devious side behind an innocent face so well. Wonder if Taichi knows how she does it…

Tsuzuku… [To be continued…] 

Chapter two is done! School starts next week so, who knows when I'll write the next chapter. ^^'


	3. He’s mine, I tell you! I’m buying him!

**Title:** Of Consciences and a Crazy Colleague  
**Chapter: **3 » He's mine, I tell you! I'm buying him!  
**By: **Authorless

**Author's notes:** I never expected this ficcie to get much response from anybody. ^^" So... Judging by the votes, from now on this ficcie is totally pure **Yamachi**. ^^; Much to my sister's delight... [[She be one hardcore Yamachi fan.]] Thanks to everyone for showing your support. And here's what some of you've been waiting for, Chapter 3. Enjoy. ^.~

To babydragon: Uhhh... I'm afraid I can't tell you what school or state I'm in, mainly because I'm not American and I don't live in the US at all. I'm a Malaysian.

**Disclaimer: **I do **not** own Digimon. Period.

_"Oh, no. No way. Forget it, Natsumi. I am **not** doing it! You hear me? No. No. No. You can't make me. Nothing you do will make me change my mind. I am **not** doing it!"_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

How the hell did Natsumi do it?!

Here I am, sitting in the front row with the other teachers until the volunteers, or should I say, 'slaves', were called onto the stage in the auditorium. Students in the audience were chattering excitedly about this little 'event' before the weekend began the next day. Teachers and students were bustling around on the stage, carrying a few tables and chairs, and positioning them at the far end of the stage. To humor the crowd of students, one of the students brought a toy gavel for the auctioneer to slam onto the desk.

Thank god, this isn't opened to the public or I'll never live this down for the rest of my life. How Natsumi got me into this mess is beyond me. I just can't wait for this day to be over. It would be thoroughly humiliating if word got out that I was sold as a 'slave' to one of the students for a day. Hikari will use this against me, for sure!

_Or Natsumi could use this to mock you for the rest of your life._

That's a comforting thought. Natsumi ridiculing me for the rest of my life! Remind me to asphyxiate her for ever mentioning the words, 'slave auction' again. I never want to hear those words after this whole deluge is over. Never.

Speak of the devil. There she is. Standing at the entrance, talking to the headmaster about something. I absently rubbed my arm where Natsumi had hit me as lightly as she could for mentioning her attire but that girl just doesn't know her own strength. I know she didn't mean it but did she have to hit me so hard...

I don't know why she hates wearing skirts. She practically dreads the thought of wearing them. Unfortunately this had to be a school event and she was required to dress like a lady and look mature since a few important people might be attending. Which I might add, that Natsumi scoffed at the thought of it. Now, here she is in a long dark-green skirt and white blouse. You can practically see her agitation at dressing like that. For one thing, she would stare down at herself in mute repugnance every once in awhile.

I twisted around in my seat and watched her seemingly make a mock threat toward the headmaster when he objected to whatever she asked. Funny thing was, the poor man had a terrified look on his round face. I wish I could read lips since the sound of chattering were steadily increasing as more students began occupying the auditorium and I couldn't possibly make out a single word of what they were saying. When the headmaster reluctantly agreed to whatever Natsumi was up to, Natsumi gave him a look of complete elation and practically skipped out the door. Wonder what's that all about.

A few minutes later, she came back in whilst dragging... Someone by the sleeve behind her. It's kind of funny because you can tell that person isn't too pleased at being hauled like a sack of rice. They were earning a few funny looks from the crowd too. I tried to take a better look at the person by sitting up straight in my chair. Can't tell if it's a man or a woman, considering he or she is wearing a hat, rather large coat, black shades and had a scarf placed around the neck, blocking the lower face from view. That person must have an extreme fear of cold to dress like that in hot weather.

_Aren't you a genius?_

Shut up.

_Hmph. I don't see why you should worry about Natsumi bringing a complete stranger into the auditorium. The only thing you should be worrying about is yourself. **You**'re the one who's getting sold, remember?_

...Hey! Look! Natsumi is on the stage, taking the microphone.

_Fine. Ignore the little voice at the back of your head. I never get any respect around here. Hmph._

"Is this thing on? Oh, it is. Ahem. I'd like to welcome all of you for coming to take part in this **interesting** school event to raise funds to open a new shelter for the homeless. I hope all of you students would graciously take part to give a helping hand and also to show a bit of hospitality. Before I end this little opening speech, I would like all of you to give a warm welcome to... Yunoki! Sit down **immediately**."

One of the boys were attempting to pour water from a bottle down a boy's shirt and he stopped quickly at Natsumi's sharp tone and sat down quietly, all the while glaring at Natsumi, who just smiled back cynically.

"Now where was I? Oh. I would like all of you to welcome a friend of mine who has willingly decided to take part for the sake of donating funds. Please give a warm reception to… Uhhh... Kumamoto-san!"

Smiling weakly, she directed everyone's attention to the stranger who was now seated in the front row alongside one of the teachers. He only nodded in response as he received a welcoming applause from the large crowd.

"And one more thing. Sorry kids. You are **not** allowed to order your slave to do your homework, if it's a teacher, you may **not** ask for a better grade and you most certainly **cannot** order the slave to do something, he or she is not willing to do. Therefore. If I catch any one of you being **naughty**, you will definitely know what grade I will be giving you on your English term paper. Have fun now."

Natsumi gave the crowd of students a somewhat evil smile as groans of displeasure erupted and murmurs of disapproval were heard yet ignored. Natsumi passed the microphone to the auctioneer sitting at the desk and went offstage, doing her best not to trip in the skirt. She cast me a familiar grin before taking the empty seat next to Kumamoto. Something tells me that Natsumi is up to something. Again. God knows what she's got up her sleeves!

I barely took notice of my surroundings as students who had volunteered to be 'slaves' were called onto the stage one by one and were standing in a neat row, waiting in anticipation to be sold. Some of them had a look of pure confidence on their faces, possibly convinced that someone would buy them. Others were looking rather timid and shy, also more than a little nervous. I wonder whom I would be sold to... I hope I won't be sold to some student who wanted me to wait on them hand and foot! That is a horrifying image...

"Yagami-sensei? Helloooo? Yagami-sensei!"

Feeling a nudge from the teacher sitting beside me, I jerked back into reality, feeling my knees go weak as I climbed the steps to the stage nervously and stood next to one of the Math teachers, Yukako, who must have been forced into it, considering she didn't look too happy either. I was surprised when I finally realized that most of the teachers had volunteered, which had gradually lifted my spirits. At least I wasn't the only teacher.

Finally feeling relaxed, another wave of feelings washed over me. I felt my heartstrings tugging slightly and some unnamed emotion rise within me. I scanned through the crowds and my eyes fell onto the stranger named Kumamoto, who was watching my every move from behind the pair of sunglasses. I'm sure of it. I mustered up of what little courage I had then and gazed back just as intensely at the man and I swear that I could see him flinch lightly and look away.

_That is strange. Very strange._

Great... You're still here.

_Of course, I'm still here. Where else would I be?_

Somewhere far, far away, where I don't have to hear you ever again.

_You're mean..._

Whatever.

Glancing at Natsumi, I'm absolutely sure that she is up to something. The way she's resisting the urge to grin and she's got that twinkle in her eyes when she has some malicious scheme going on in her mind. You can almost imagine the wheels in her head turning... Why me?

I mentally groaned and judging by the looks I was getting from the other people standing around me, you can tell that my face must have been contorted in pain or something. That's no surprise. I can feel my stomach churning. I dread the thought of what that... that... deranged girl will do to me... Think positive thoughts. The least she could do was to get some psycho maniac to buy me and have me clean his entire house up. So why don't I feel any better?

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Erk. It's my turn... And Natsumi's friend hadn't even looked at the other 'slaves'.

"And now, Yagami-sensei. We'll start with the minimum of 200 yen. 200 yen anybody?"

I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for this to be over with quick. Why should I panic anyway? I only just noticed one of the girls in my class who always stares at me when she thinks I'm not looking, raise her hand at what I vaguely made out as 700 yen. Something tells me that I'm not going to like what I hear after all this...

"1,000 yen?"

"Anyone 2,500 yen?"

"7,000 yen from the young lady over there."

"Nobody for 9,000?"

"Going once..."

"Twice..."

"10,000 yen."

I did not expect that. I opened my eyes and stared confusedly around my surroundings for the bidder.

"12,000 yen!"

I blinked this time and saw the same girl who stares weirdly at me, just bid 12,000 yen for me. I looked toward Natsumi to see her reaction to that. I was taken by surprise when she looked like she was refraining from jumping out of her seat and chewing that girl out. Apparently, the girl must have spoiled her plans in some way to make her look so irritated. That was until she took a deep breath to gain some composure and nudged the man next to her with an elbow as she sunk tediously into her seat. He must have understood the gesture because he nodded knowingly and raised his hand.

"15,000 yen."

"18,000 yen!!"

The girl countered, her voice hinting a challenge as she smiled defiantly at the back of Natsumi's head. I turned back to look at Natsumi and her grip on the armrest seemed to have tightened till her knuckles turned white and if you looked properly, you could barely make out that she's gritting her teeth. In the 2 years I've known her, the prior thing you **must** remember is to **never** anger Tadahiro Natsumi to the point where she would rip your head off, break every bone in your body and toss you into the ocean to make sure you were really dead. You would have a more likely chance to survive in hell than facing her in a bad temper.

Once again, she takes a few deep breaths and this time, she leans over and whispers to her companion. The man recognized as Kumamoto, nodded once again without flinching at her possibly angry tone of voice. She could sound very intimidating at times, making you shiver and shake in fright without meaning to.

"35,000 yen."

What?! My mouth dropped and I could tell at that moment that I would blend in very well with a school of fish. Who would pay **that** much for me?! Hushed whispers were emitted from the crowd and others were trying to sit up straight in their seats to see who had bid so much on a teacher. I can feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. I raised my eyes to meet with Natsumi's in silent plead as to what she was up to and she gave me a comforting yet weak smile, like everything was going to be all right.

_I find that hard to believe._

I have to agree with you on that.

"Umm... Okay... Nobody else?"

The girl in the back could be seen, throwing dirty looks at the back of Kumamoto's head and I let out a silent sigh of relief. At least I wasn't sold to a student. That was **one** good thing.

"Going once..."

"Twice..."

"Sold to the gentleman over there."

I let my gaze wander upon the stranger who had just bought me for more than double the last bidder offered. Somehow... That person seems rather familiar, now that he was standing up to go and sign the agreement like everyone else. That rather slim and tall figure, though it may be hard to make out through all that bulky clothing. That wasn't what made him seem familiar though. What really caught my eye was the way he walked. Swift yet full of grace in every step, as if every stride was carefully planned. It was so... Strangely familiar. Like I was accustomed with it from the first time I set eyes on him. So frighteningly familiar. It reminds me of someone. Someone I knew well. Yet why can't I place a name to that someone?

I feel so frustrated with myself. I can't even remember! That's it. I can feel my legs going weak. My knees would have surely buckled under me if I didn't feel small but strong hands hold me up. Turning my head, I saw Natsumi who must have ran onstage and I could make out the look of worry on her face.

"Come on, Taichi. I promise you, it'll be worth it."

I nodded meekly, too exhausted with berating with myself to argue with anyone. I slowly headed over to the desk where that Kumamoto was, obviously paying the sum of money via check. I could vaguely hear Natsumi following me close behind. Is it just me or is that guy looking at me rather strangely? Maybe my head is just messed up with all this tension building up. I gingerly took the pen that was offered to me by the auctioneer and signed my name in the empty space on the agreement. I noted that the other signature that possibly belonged to the man, now standing next to Natsumi, was rather scrawny. Like he wasn't used to writing it much. That would be ridiculous though. Why would anyone fake their name anyway?

After all that was done, Natsumi opted for the both of us to head toward the auditorium doors. Being that she was a tad bit small sized, she didn't notice the boy she had scolded during the opening, Yunoki, sneaking up and hiding behind an empty seat. I wouldn't have notice him either if I weren't so near. It didn't occur to me that he could cause any mischief from where he hid. It seems to me that Natsumi wasn't the only one who didn't notice. Kumamoto didn't say a word as he walked beside me with Natsumi escorting us out from behind. Like his mind was a thousand miles away. I wonder what is he going to do with me. Order me to wash his extra heavy laundry perhaps?

Next thing I know, there was a sharp cry of 'aha!', followed by a series of gasps were heard. I turned swiftly to face my companions and I felt my heart leapt into my throat, completely taken aback by the sight before me. There. Right in front of me. Hair of golden strands falling all over a pale face with that pair of cerulean blue eyes I could forever drown into. I'd recognize them anywhere. I have the image of those lovely blue eyes memorized by heart. They were peering at me, trying to understand what I'm feeling right now... Those eyes. They hold... Fear. My breath started coming in short gasps as I stared in utter shock at the one I've been missing.

"Yamato?!"

_ Tsuzuku... [To be continued...] _

There! XD Chapter 3 complete! I've managed to fit 'fanfic-writing' into my schedule. Even if I **should** be studying. ::cough:: Anyway, I won't know when I'll write the next one. We'll just have to see, ne? And don't ask me about Japanese currency because I forgot it after my trip to Japan last year. ^^"


	4. Run! It's the attack of the killer fangi...

****

Title: Of Consciences and a Crazy Colleague  
**Chapter: **4 » Run! It's the attack of the killer fangirls!  
**By: **Authorless

****

Author's notes: Me writing this at midnight. Don't you just hate it when your muse decides to come back when you're lying awake in bed? V-V;; Maybe I just feel guilty for making so many awful cliffhangers without meaning to, so here's what some of you requested. Chapter 4. So uhhh… Hope you like the fic! Yeah… Right…

****

Disclaimer: I do **not** own Digimon. But I'd be more than happy if you'd give them to me. ^^;

"Yamato?!"

"Oh my God! It's Ishida Yamato!!! I think I'm going to faint..."

"That's the famous lead singer for the Teenage Wolves!"

Kuso! I've been found out! Stupid brat! Did he have to go pull at the scarf and send the hat and sunglasses flying too?! Damn it!!! I am in so much trouble… Right now I wish the ground would swallow me up. I could feel stares boring holes through me like knifes. But the one stare that bothered me the most was the one Taichi was sending right at me. He looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

__

With you gone so long, you might as well have been dead.

Don't you ever shut up?

__

When hell freezes over.

Ugh… You're of no help.

__

All you should do is ask.

Over my dead body.

__

Fine. See if I care when you get run over by your fan club.

Bah… Forget you. Forget the annoying voice in my head. Concentrate on the cute looking brunette with the unruly hair in front of you. Taichi… He's just thoroughly stunned to see me. He looks so adorable even with his mouth hanging wide open. I wonder what he'd taste like if I…

__

Earth to Ishida. Come in, Ishida. This is your conscience speaking. Beep. Beep. If you value your life, it is suggested that you get your head out of the gutter and run before all hell breaks loose. Over and out. Beep.

"Yamato, grab Taichi and get out of here. **Now**."

Natsumi murmured in exasperation and sending death glares to the boy who looked rather scared at the moment. Natsumi looks like she'd tear him apart at any moment. Too bad she couldn't do anything to him yet and tried to stall the crowd. I blinked stupidly for a moment and finally remembered where I was and shot my dazed Taichi a mute apology before scooping him up in my arms and running out the door as fast as my legs could carry me. Heh. How many times have I dreamed of doing that? Sweeping Taichi off his feet. I like the sound of that.

He's so warm… It's just so hard for me to not try to cuddle up to him. And he still has that irresistible smell of… Autumn leaves? I don't know... But Kami-sama, I'm practically floating on air! I sneaked a peek at him and found him still gaping in shock, possibly because I just whisked him out of the auditorium in front of a huge crowd. Literally.

Speaking of huge crowds. I hear girlish screaming... Natsumi couldn't hold them all off! They're following me!!!! Run feet. Run. Don't fail me now.

Scurrying quickly pass classroom after classroom, I searched for the appointed hiding place and came skidding to a halt in front of one of the teacher's rooms. The words hanging on the door was like a sign from heaven. Digging through my coat pocket while trying to hold Taichi up with one arm was difficult. I could hear thundering feet headed this way. Where are those damn keys?!

"Yes! Found them!"

Pulling the keys out of my pocket and basically stuffing each one of them into the keyhole. After trying a couple of keys, the door unlocked and I hurried inside, still holding Taichi as close as possible and locking the door behind us. After making sure the door was carefully bolted, I leaned my back against the door in ease and tried to catch hold of my breath. I've got to remember to thank Natsumi for having this whole thing carefully planned out from the start…

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

_"Are you sure about this?"_

"Yes, I'm sure about this. You are **not** going to back out on me after all the planning I did for you. You'd have to knock me out cold and shoot me in the head before considering it."

I sighed, trying hard to hide the worry out of my voice like I normally did which wasn't so hard. Trying to seem like the cool, levelheaded one was simple for me. I tugged slightly at the scarf that was slightly suffocating me and nodded solemnly. I wanted to see Taichi desperately and if I back out now… I wouldn't get another chance to see him. Just thinking about it makes this painful throbbing in my heart. Ishida Yamato has heartache. I can see it now on the headlines. What a laugh…

"All right. Then you wait here while I get consent for you to get in."

She was about to turn and leave, before a thought struck me and I quickly grabbed the sleeve of her shirt in my haste. Natsumi just sighed and turned around to face me with a weary look.

"What is it now?"

"What if something bad happened?"

"What could possibly happen?"

She interjected pointedly and crossed her arms over her chest with aggravation written all over her face. I just bowed my head in embarrassment, though she couldn't possibly read my expression with my face covered up.

"I don't know… It's just that I-"

I was interrupted by a loud jangling sound and looked up to find Natsumi fishing through her pockets and coming up with some keys on a tare panda key-chain. She tossed the keys to me, which I easily caught as she started to walk away.

"One of those keys is the spare key to my office. If anything happens, run down that hall, take a left turn and look for your old Math teacher's office, which is currently mine. I believe her surname was Hasumi."

That said, she walked briskly through the doors of the auditorium and left me standing alone with my thoughts. I eyed the keys carefully and placed them in my coat pocket. I get the feeling that these keys were something I didn't want to lose. But why so many keys? I'd have to ask her about those later.

I leaned against a pillar as I waited patiently and watched students and sometimes teachers, rush by in a hurry to get to the auditorium. Deep down inside, I'm a nervous wreck. What would Taichi do if he saw me? Would he be mad at me for never keeping contact? What if…He hated me for it? I couldn't live with that. I'd probably kill myself if he refused to speak to me again. Sure, we argue more than speaking calmly with each other but…Guess it's mainly my fault.

I always hated the fact that someone could understand me so well and that someone wasn't Takeru. My own brother didn't understand what I feel with all the walls I built around me. And all Taichi had to do was dance right up and tap that wall a little before it shatters to bits. Then I'd recoil momentarily and hit him after that, for even trying to understand how I feel. After that, I get this neurotic feeling that seems to eat me up from the inside. I hated the way I feel about him.

When I found out how much I loved him after we parted ways, I tried avoiding any contact with him and indulged myself in my music. That only made me think of him even more. And day by day, it gets worst. I had this yearning to whisper sweet nothings into his ear and hold my Taichi close in my arms, never letting go of him. Yeah, sappy. I know. I should have considered the saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' before I decided to avoid him like the plague.

I must have been thinking for longer than I thought because next thing I knew, Natsumi had skipped back to me in complete satisfaction and had me dragged into the auditorium, whether I liked it or not. I pray this plan goes well or I'm am so screwed…

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Yama…"

I was brought out of my silent reverie by a timid little voice and turned to my Tai-chan. My Tai-chan. He called me 'Yama'! Possibly it was a mistake but who cares! I couldn't stop the smile from coming to my lips as I stared at him in a comforting way. He bowed his head and began twiddling his thumbs nervously and chewing on his lower lip as if trying to say something.

"Ne, Yama… Could you… Put me down now?"

"Oh yeah."

I gave him a sheepish grin and placed him on his feet gingerly. I felt sad at the loss of contact with him. It hurts not to reach out and grab him when he's so close yet so far. Whatever that possessed me to not tell him how much he means to me all these years is now miles and miles away.

__

You are so dramatic.

You are so vexatious.

__

Hey, **your** Tai-chan is talking to you!

What?

"Yamato? Hellooo?"

"Huh?"

"I said, what are you doing here, Yamato?"

A loss for words. What's wrong with me?! Just say something. Anything!! How am I suppose to answer that?! Tell the truth? I can't exactly say, 'I came here because I love you!', can I? Kami-sama… I need help… Evade. Evade.

"I was passing by and thought I'd pay you a little visit. Something wrong with that, Taichi?"

__

Nice save.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Yamato. The problem is, you were passing by dressed in **this** getup?"

__

Ooh… Bad move, Ishida.

"You know with fans all over the place, I need a little disguise once in awhile. Can't I even pay my best friend a visit?"

Taichi looked slightly crestfallen and he turned silently toward the window of Natsumi's tiny office. I didn't get to notice the interior of the room. Shelves on both sides filled with thick books, most of which looked gaijin. [Note: gaijin = foreign] The walls were painted a cerulean blue and in the corner was a desk and armchair. A seemingly new monitor occupied the desk and beside it were piles upon piles of paperwork, half of which were written in the English language. And where Taichi stood by the window, hung a few green curtains which were also new. I continued scrutinizing my surroundings until a Taichi spoke up.

"Best friend? I haven't even heard from you in years. Are we even still friends?"

"Of course we are! I was just busy with work! It isn't exactly easy for me to contact anybody with my tight schedule! Oh please! Give me a little credit for coming all the way here!"

I retaliated without thinking and visibly cringed at the thought of hurting Taichi. He does have a right to be angry with me after all.

"I'm sorry…"

Wh… What? I think I must be hearing things.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm sorry…"

Tai-chan… Just apologized and he didn't do anything. It was a barely audible whisper but I could hear it loud and clear. I **did** hurt his feelings by snapping like that. I just want to cry. How could I snap at him? I walked up to him from behind silently and was about to place my hand on his shoulder when the lock in the door turned and it flung open and was shut in a quick second. If you blinked, you wouldn't have caught the movement.

"Am I interrupting?"

I let my hand drop to my side and smiled sympathetically at Natsumi, who looked like she ran a marathon and back again. She had her head leaned against of the bookshelves, panting in complete exhaustion. Taichi promptly ran up to hold her up as she started to fall backward onto the floor. I watched silently as Taichi deposited the worn-out girl into the armchair. Natsumi was starting to talk gibberish and held one finger up, waving it around in circles as she stared at the ceiling.

"I… Never… Want to… Do… That… Again…"

I exchanged glances with Taichi who looked up and explained to me quietly, while indicating to Natsumi who was slurring in English.

"Natsumi doesn't get much exercise. She gets like that when she's tired. I never seem to make out what she says though."

I observed her as she staggered to her feet slightly and grabbed a bottle of water on her desk and downed half of the contents in a matter of seconds. The girl took a deep breath and leaned back into the chair, mumbling.

"Big crowd of fans coming this way. You guys have to get out of here."

"Natsumi, how can we get out of here?! We're on the 2nd floor! [Note: Japanese count the Ground floor as the 1st floor]"

"Taichi. Taichi. I thought you know me well."

Natsumi grinned knowingly and waved a finger at him. Turning to one of the drawers, she took out another bunch of keys and unlocked it. She pulled out a rope ladder and deposited it at our feet before collapsing in her chair once again.

"I've kept that old thing, just in case of emergencies. Just slide open the window and pop it out. I suggest you give me that coat because everyone's going to recognize you in that."

I was staring at Taichi again and a thought must have occurred to him because he looked like he just realized the meaning of life.

"You knew Yamato and you didn't tell me?"

"Not till last Tuesday. No time to argue with me, Taichi."

I vaguely noticed as Natsumi pushed a heavy duffel bag out from behind her desk and indicated for me to open it. I carefully tugged at the zip and found a few hats, shades, a blond wig, and a funny looking mask. I gawked at her in pure bewilderment. How did she have this whole thing planned out so well? You'd think she saw this coming a mile away.

"Give me your coat, put on some shades and climb out of the window. **I** am going to have to stall your fan club."

With that said, she plucked the mask, wig, and a pair of clip-on dark shades out of the bag and then turned to face the wall. After awhile, Natsumi made a pose that resembled something of a drama queen and turned to face the both of us.

"Do I look like Ishida Yamato or what?"

I don't know about Taichi but I was impressed. There stood an exact image of me, the mask was pretty well made, her black hair tucked underneath that blond wig, shades to hide the color of her eyes and finally a pair of slightly larger shoes to make her seem my height. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought I was staring into a mirror.

"They're coming! Hurry! Give me your coat."

I quickly took off the coat and watched Natsumi slip into it carefully. Lucky thing she made sure I wore a coat over a normal t-shirt and jeans. Saves me the trouble of changing clothes. I made a sideways glance at Taichi while smooth out my slightly crumpled shirt and found him gaping. Guess that there were some things Natsumi didn't tell Taichi about. He kept a placid look as Natsumi tossed me one of her sunglasses and made her way toward the door.

"Now you two, out the window you go and no more chit chats until you reach the park. Sayonara!"

She lowered the shades down her nose slightly, winked at me, and was out the door before Taichi or I could manage a single word. Remembering what she said, I placed the sunglasses onto my nose and grabbed Taichi by the hand, careful not to hurt him and tried to get the window to open.

"Shimatta! The window is stuck."

I attempted to open it when a tanned hand reached out and slid the window open with clever ease. I flashed my Tai-chan a grateful smile and I didn't miss his cheeks flushing lightly. Must be the heat. This room **is** rather stuffy.

I grabbed the rope ladder and flung the end of it out the window. I turned to that lovely brunette standing next to me and back away slightly to let him go first.

"After you, Taichi."

Taichi just stared at me incredulously as if I had gone mad and was wondering if I needed to see a doctor. I just shrugged off the look he dealt at me and avoided eye contact. I felt more than saw the smile that graced his lips and he started climbing the rope ladder with me, making absolute sure that he wouldn't fall or hurt himself.

In a few minutes, both of us had our feet on the ground and were headed to the nearest park. I was pleased I got out of there alive but I couldn't help feeling a little worried for Natsumi. It was rather brave of her to run straight into heart of the Odaiba High School, looking like me. I hope she isn't torn to bits by now. Those fangirls can be rough.

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Forget about her. She's probably doing fine on her own.

Easy for you to say.

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Well, at least you have your sweet, adorable, beautiful, sexy, Tai-chan with the cute butt, and you can take him home and-

You are such a hentai.

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Speak for yourself, Ishida. Speak for yourself.

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Tsuzuku... [To be continued...] 

Finished chapter 4! Yes, another cliffhanger. I know. I'm mean. But I'm tired. And at least I got this out within a week. Even though I think this chapter sucks. ^^" I wanna sleep now… I look like a panda… O.O


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